


You're What's Keeping Me Safe

by tabbytabbytabby



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Cave-In, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Kiss, Hurt Eddie Diaz, Light Angst, M/M, Misunderstandings, Trapped, Worried Evan "Buck" Buckley
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-18
Updated: 2020-03-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:48:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23202739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tabbytabbytabby/pseuds/tabbytabbytabby
Summary: When Eddie and Buck get trapped, Buck worries for Eddie's safety.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 388





	You're What's Keeping Me Safe

**Author's Note:**

> Title comes from the song [Work In Progress](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faSzFo0VPSU) by The Dangerous Summer

It happens fast. One moment Buck and Eddie are standing at the edge of what feels like everything, and the next the world is crumbling around them. Literally. 

Buck wishes this could be some figurative bullshit, but it's not. 

The ground gave out beneath their feet and now they're trapped here, god knows how far below ground. Eddie more so than him, and that's what worries Buck more than anything. 

"At least we have each other." 

His attempt at a joke fell flat, as he knew it would. But he had to try something. 

Otherwise his mind would start racing, coming up with one bad scenario after another. That's not what either of them needs right now. 

He crawls to Eddie and takes in his predicament. Here's trapped between a large rock and a wall. He bites back a quip about this being a literal embodiment of between a rock and a hard place, and focuses on trying to find a way to get Eddie out. 

He tries to shift the rock and freezes when the rocks above them shake. He looks from the rocks to Eddie and frowns. 

"We're going to figure this out," Buck tells him. 

Eddie nods, but his face is grim. 

"The team will find us."

The words are as much for himself as they are for Eddie. He needs to believe it. 

He pulls out his phone, relieved to see he somehow still has service down here. 

"Luck is on our side," Buck says, smiling over at Eddie as he dials 911 and sets the phone on speaker. 

"Forgive me if I don't feel very lucky," Eddie mutters. 

"911, what's your emergency?"

The relief grows when he hears Maddie's voice on the line. "Maddie! Thank God."

"Buck?" Maddie says. "Is that you?"

"It is. We're trapped. We were taking a walk and the ground caved and Eddie's trapped between a rock and the wall, and I tried to move it and it's too unstable."

"Evan I need you to breathe, alright? Help is on the way. Now how is Eddie?"

"I've been better," Eddie mutters. 

"I'm sure," Maddie says. "But you're not having anything difficulty breathing?"

"No, I don't think anything has been crushed."

"Thank God for that," Buck mutters. 

"Help's not far out," Maddie tells them. "So just try to remain calm."

"I think that's more directed at you than me," Eddie says. 

"I'm calm," Buck argues. 

"Sure you are."

"I'm not the one that's trapped!"

He is, technically. Just not the same way Eddie is.

"You are much more dramatic though," Eddie says. 

"I am not!"

"Are too."

"Am not!" He waits a beat, watching as Eddie smirks, and realization dawns on him. "Are you seriously arguing with me right now?"

"It's helping distract you," Eddie says. 

He's not wrong. Not that Buck is going to admit that out loud. 

"At least you two aren't at risk of running out of oxygen," Maddie sighs.

Buck feels his face heat up. He'd forgotten she was on the phone for a moment. 

His head snaps up at the blaring of sirens above them. Help has arrived. 

When Bobby's head appears above them, he's relieved. If anyone is going to do whatever it takes to get them out of this, it's their team. 

"What's the situation?" Bobby calls down. 

"Eddie's trapped between a rock and the cave wall," Buck tells him. "When I tried to move the rock, the rest of the rocks above it threatened to give. You have to get him out of here."

"Get Buck out first," Eddie says. 

"What? No!" Eddie turns his incredulous look on Eddie. "I'm not leaving you!"

"You have to," Eddie grunts. "It's too unstable for you to be down here."

"Which is why I can't leave you!"

"You don't have a choice," Eddie argues. 

"Chim's coming down to bring you up," Bobby tells. 

"Just send down the rope and I'll get us both out," Buck says, voice close to begging. He doesn't like the idea of leaving Eddie down here, or putting anyone else in danger. Never mind that this is what they do for a living. This time it's different. 

"Not happening," Chimney calls down. Buck keeps his eyes on Eddie, even as Chimney propels down the hole towards them. "Come on, Buck. Don't make this any harder."

"Eddie…"

"Go," Eddie says, voice firm. "I'll be right behind you."

The words have dread pooling in his gut. They both know he can't make that promise. He starts to go towards Eddie, to do what he's not sure. He has to do _something_.

But then he's been pulled backwards, and Chimney's arm is holding him in place. 

"We're going to get him out," Chimney tells him.

All Buck can do is keep his eyes on Eddie as they're pulled upwards. He doesn't let himself look away. When they're back on stable ground he rushes towards the edge of the hole, only to find himself pulled back by Bobby. 

"Give them space to work."

Buck does his best, but he can’t stand still. He paces across the grass so often he’s started to make his own path with his feet. He just can’t relax. Not until he sees Eddie and knows he’s safe. 

“It’s gonna give!” Chimney calls up.

Buck still, panic making its way up to his throat and threatening to choke him. The ground shakes beneath his feet and he tries to go forward again, only to be stopped by Hen this time. “Let me through!”

“There’s nothing you can do,” Hen tells him. “You just have to trust them to do their jobs.”

“I do but I…”

“I know,” Hen says, her face softening. “I know you feel about him, Buck.”

“I can’t lose him,” Buck whispers. “And Christopher. He can’t…”

“He’s going to be fine,” Hen assures him. “Bobby and Chim are going to make sure of that.”

Buck opens his mouth but the words never come. Not when he sees Chimney emerging from the hole, pulling Eddie along with him. 

Buck stands frozen for a moment, watching as Eddie stands and looks around. His lips are moving, addressing Bobby, but can’t hear the words past the pounding in his ears.

Eddie turns and their eyes meet, and for a few long moments neither moves. Then they’re both stumbling forward, crashing into each other as they hug tightly. Relief washes over Buck and he lets out a happy cry against Eddie’s neck before pulling back to take him in.

They stare at each other, bodies still pressed close, as Eddie murmurs out assurances. Then a dam breaks and they’re moving, their lips meeting in a searing kiss as they cling to each other. It’s as if everything else falls away and all Buck can focus on is Eddie.

Eddie being alive. Eddie in his arms. Eddie kissing him like he’s been dreaming of for so damn long.

Nothing else matters in this moment.

A throat clears, but Buck can bring himself to pull away. Not yet. Afraid that if he does Eddie will disappear.

“It’s okay,” Eddie murmurs against his lips. He brushes a thumb against Buck’s cheek, and it’s only then that Buck realizes he’s crying. “Evan, I’m okay.”

Buck takes a deep breath and pulls back, enough to look at Eddie. He’s a little banged up, but Buck imagines he doesn’t look much better. But they are both alive. That’s what’s important.

“We need to get you both checked out,” Hen says from nearby.

“And then you two can take the rest of the shift off,” Bobby says.

“Cap…”

“No arguments Buck,” Bobby says, voice holding no room for argument. “You both need at least the day to recover, if not more.”

“Sure Cap,” Eddie says. He looks at Buck expectantly.

Buck sighs, “Fine. We’ll take the day.”

It’s only natural that Buck goes home with Eddie. Neither one of them is ready to let the other out of their sight yet. Not after everything that happened. 

Buck’s just so relieved to have Eddie alive that his mind can’t focus on anything else. At least not until they’re walking into his house and they stop inside the bathroom. A sense of awkwardness settles over him as he watches Eddie carefully take his shirt off. 

It’s not as if he’s never seen Eddie shirtless before. He has countless times. But this time feels different. Because they’re different. Or at least that’s how it feels to Buck.

“You okay?” Eddie asks him.

“Yeah I just. I guess I’m not sure how to do this,” Buck admits.

“Do what?”

“Well _this_ ,” Buck says, gesturing between them.

"Nothing has to change," Eddie says. 

Buck's heart drops, and he takes an unconscious step back. "Oh."

He'd been so sure. So damn sure. Especially with the way Eddie had kissed him earlier. Maybe it had been the adrenaline. Or the relief at being alive. A spur of the moment decision that hadn’t meant anything to him. But it had to Buck.

He's grateful when the front door opens and the sound of Christopher's voice reaches them. "Dad? Buck?"

Buck clears his throat and makes himself turn away from Eddie. "I should go."

"Buck wait," Eddie says, reaching out for him, but Buck just takes another step back. He can't let Eddie touch him, no matter how much he wants to. If he does he'll break right here and he can't do that in front of Christopher. 

He goes to Christopher and hugs him tightly, doing his best to smile. "You look after your dad, alright?"

Christopher frowns, "You're leaving?"

"Yeah I uhh…" his eyes drift to Eddie, who is hovering close by, his own concerned frown on his face. “I need to get some sleep, and I'm not sure if my back can handle the couch tonight."

His heart can't handle it either. It was always hard enough knowing Eddie was just down the hall. But now…

He moves towards the door, only stopping to look back at Christopher. "I'll see you later, buddy."

"Buck," Eddie calls after him. "Buck. You don't have to go."

He keeps his back to Eddie and tries to fight back the tears stinging at his eyes. "Yeah I kind of do."

He only makes it to the porch before the wall breaks. He leans against the porch railing as sobs wrack his body. He just needs a moment to collect himself and he can go. 

“Buck.”

Buck closes his eyes tightly and tries to will the tears away. Eddie doesn’t need to see this. “Sorry. I’m leaving. I just…”

“I already told you that you don’t have to,” Eddie says softly.

“I do though,” Buck says.

“Why?”

“Because it’s too hard right now,” Buck says, keeping his back to him. “With everything that happened and then thinking you felt… when clearly you don’t. And that’s fine. It is. I just need some time. So I’ll just…”

He goes to leave, but Eddie grabs his arm, stopping him. “No.”

“Eddie man, come on. Just let me go.”

“No.”

Buck does look at him then, eyes blazing as anger rises to replace the hurt he’s feeling. “Why not?”

“Because I need you to give me a damn minute to get my thoughts together,” Eddie snaps. “Can you do that?” When Buck nods, Eddie sighs. “I’m not the best with words or feelings, Buck. You know that. But I’m going to try because I’m afraid that if I don’t I’m going to screw everything up between us and lose you.”

“You won’t lose me,” Buck says, voice softening at Eddie’s clear distress. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Eddie takes a deep breath and nods. “When I said that nothing had to change, I didn’t mean I didn’t want you. Or us. I do. I just… I meant that _we_ didn’t have to change. That you’d still be Buck and I’d still be Eddie. What we are to each other would just be different.”

Understanding washes over Buck as it hits him just what Eddie had been trying to say back in the bathroom. “I think you did a pretty good job of using your words just then.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Buck smiles and steps closer. “But lucky for us there are other ways to communicate than just with words.”

“Hmm and what’s what?”

Buck doesn’t answer, at least not with words. He decides to show him instead. And he’ll keep showing him and Christopher just how much they mean to him in as many ways as he can for as long as he can. That’s one thing he’s sure of.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos/comments make my day 💜  
> [My tumblr](http://tabbytabbytabby.tumblr.com/)


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